Room Acoustics

Room Acoustics

Optimise the sound quality within each space by tailoring room acoustics to design specific needs. Whether for large halls, offices, or living spaces, our calculations for reverberation times offer a good understanding of the sound quality of the room, with a care taken to prevent flutter echo. These calculations are made based on Sabine’s formula for reverberation time (which takes into account a material’s type, absorption properties, and its surface area).

In residential buildings, there are specific requirements for the reverberation time in shared traffic areas, such as corridors and stairwells. These measures are essential to dampen sounds produced by other residents in common spaces, preventing noise from disturbing the homes. Additionally, the acoustics in the rooms of the house can also be improved to create a sound living space. PhysiBuild provides expert advice on the choice of constructions and materials needed to achieve adequate sound dampening. Additionally, calculations can be performed to demonstrate compliance with these requirements.

In open-plan offices, controlling the reverberation time is critical for maintaining a productive and comfortable working environment. Lowering the reverberation time helps reduce background noise levels, but it is equally important to balance this with measures that minimize disturbances caused by typing, phone calls, and other activities.

In hospitality oriented spaces (hotels, restaurants, etc.), a good reverberation time, with enhanced speech clarity can improve the experience of the users in the space. It is important to take care of privacy and distraction distances in typologies such as this in order to prevent the Café/Lombard effect (the tendency for people to increase their voices in a noisy environment).

Classroom acoustics also play a vital role in creating a healthy and effective learning environment. Excessive noise levels in classrooms can cause headaches for both teachers and students,; It can lead to sore throats for teachers, and a poor educational environment for students.

PhysiBuild provides guidance on the amount and placement of sound-absorbing materials to ensure that the acoustic measures relate to the space while taking into account the unique requirements of each space.

Acoustic simulation is also offered as an add-on to the standard reverberation time calculations. Visualise and predict sound behaviour in a space by means of acoustic simulation softwares (ODEON). Our simulations help you, the architect, anticipate and mitigate potential sound issues, ensuring that your design performs well acoustically, reducing adjustments post-construction. PhysiBuild advices based on the results of acoustic factors such as reverberation time, sound pressure levels, speech clarity, sound transmission index and sound strength.